Reversible variable-speed drive.



R. B. OMAN. REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE.

,APPLICATION FILED IAN. II. I913. 1,155,368. Patented Oct. 5,1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH c0..wAsH|NGTnN. D. c.

R. B. OMAN.

REVERSIBLE VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN- II. I913.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

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REUBEN B. OMAN, or WILLMAR, MINNESOTA.

REVERSIBLE VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 5, 1915.

Application filed January 11, 1913. Serial No. 741,481.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REUBEN B. OMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Villmar, in the county of Kandiyolii and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ReversibleVariable-Speed Drives; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

My invention has for its object to provide an extremely simple andhighly efficient reversible variable speed drive; and to such ends,generally stated, the invention consists of the novel devices andcombinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claim.

A reversible variable speed drive of the character disclosed and claimedin this application is especially adaptedfor use in connection withautomobiles or motor propelled vehicles, but may be found serviceablefor other uses. 8

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment of theinvention, like characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the transmissionmechanism; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, withsome portions broken away;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately on the line :0 03 onFig. 1; and Flg. 1 p

is a plan view with some parts sectioned and some parts broken away, thesaid view being supplemental to Fig. 1.

The numeral 1 indicates a rectangular framework having a depending yoke2. This framework is adapted to be suitably secured to the chassis of anautomobile. The numeral 3 indicates a transverse shaft suitablyjournaled in the framework 1 and adapted to be connected either directlyor indirectly to the traction Wheels of the automobile. Said shaft 3carries a pair of laterally spaced thin metal disks 4: that are rigidlysecured thereto.

The numerals 5, 6 and 7 indicate three shafts, which, at their outer orfront ends are journaled in bearing blocks 8 pivotally connected to thefront end portion of the frame 1. The inner or rear ends of these shafts5, 6 and 7 are journaled in the inter mediate portions of presser bars9, 10 and 11, respectively, the lower ends of which said bell cranklever 13. The three shafts 5, 6 and 7 are provided with intermeshinggears 17 of the same diameter, and which are preferably keyed thereto,close to the front bar of the frame 1, and hence, as close aspracticable to the axes of the pivotal connections between the bearingblocks 8 of the said frame 1.

The center shaft 5, which is the driving member, is, asshown, connectedto the engine crank shaft 18, by a jointed shaft 19 having knuckles 20.y

' Keyed for rotation with the shafts 5, (3 and 7, but free for slidingmovements thereon, are sleeves 21, 22 and 23, the rear ends of which areprovided with small friction wheels 2%, preferably having wood fiber orother suitable frictional facings for direct engagement with the disksl. The said disks 4, it will be noted, particularly by reference to lig. 1, are interposed between the said friction wheels 24. The sleeve 21is provided with a grooved collar 25 that embraces simplecollars 26 onthe sleeves 22 and 23. In "this way, the sleeves 21, 22 and 23 areconnected for common sliding movements on the respective shafts in adirection radially toward and from the aXis of the disk shaft 3.

The sliding movement of the said collars and friction wheels is adaptedto be controlled by a shipper lever 27 pivoted at one end to one side ofthe frame 1 and provided with a stud or projection 28 (see Fig. 3) thatworks in the annular groove of the collar 25.

As is evident, the shafts 6 and 7 will, through the gears 8, be causedto rotate both in the same direction, but in a direction re verse to thedirection of rotation of the driving shaft 5. The central friction wheel24 is adapted to be engaged with either of the disks 1, and one or theother of the outer friction wheels 24: will always cooperate therewithto tightly grip one or the other of the driven friction disks or wheels1 be tween them. To illustrate, and directing attention to Fig. 3, letit be assumed that the shafts 5, 6 and 7 are constantly driven in p thedirection of the arrows marked thereon.

cause the automobile to move ahead or forward. When, however, the freeend of the lever 13 is presseddo-wnward, the friction wheels 24 of thesleeves 21 and 23 will be caused to frictionally press the other disk 4,and the counter shaft 3 will then be driven in a direction reversefromthat indicated in Fig. 2 or in a direction to cause the automobile tomove backward. This highly important feature should be noted, to-wit,that in this transmitting action, there is no lateral thrust, whatever,put upon the disks 4 and consequently, no endwise thrust put upon theshaft 3. In all of the driving actions, one or the other of the disks 4are simply frictionally clamped with a vise-like action between a pairof cooperating rotating'friction wheels, hubs or rollers. Otherwisestated, the clamping pressure on the disk is in all cases neutralized. VThe very slight lateral movements of the friction wheels 24 toward andfrom each other does not materially move the gears 17 in respect 7 to.each other.

' The reversing action has now been made clear, and it will, of course,be understood that the variable speed is controlled by movements of thefriction wheels 24 toward and from the axis of the shaft 8. With theCopies of this patent may be obtained for shaft 5 acting as a drivingmember, and the shaft 4 as the driven member, relatively greater powerand slower speed is attained when the wheels 24 are moved outward towardthe peripheries of the disk 4, and conversely, greater speed and lesspower is obtained when the said wheels 24 are moved inward toward theaXis of said driven shaft 3.

This driving transmission mechanism,

' while very simple and of small cost, is very noiseless in action,strong, durable and generally efficient for the purposes had in view.

hat I claim is:

In a transmission mechanism, the combination with a shaft havingtwolaterally spaced disks, of three shafts geared together and providedwith friction wheels slidable thereon. but rotatable therewith, the saiddisks being interposed between said wheels, connections applied to saidshafts for imparting angular movement thereto to cause the intermediatefriction wheel and one or the other of the outer friction wheels toclamp one orothe other of said disks between them, according to thedirection of rotation desired, a grooved collar on said intermediatefriction wheel, single collars on the other two of said wheels workingin said grooved collar, said collars connecting said friction wheels fora simultaneous sliding movement ontheir respective shafts, and a shipperlever having a stud working in said grooved collar.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' REUBEN B. OMAN.

Witnesses N. S. SW'ENSON, EDWIN SELvIG,

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,D. 0.

